The present invention relates in general to data processing systems, and in particular, to the display of tree-based hierarchies.
Data in data processing systems is often organized in a tree-based hierarchy. Such hierarchies are typically composed of multiple relationships wherein a particular node has a xe2x80x9cparent-childxe2x80x9d relationship to one or more other nodes.
In data processing systems having a graphical user interface (GUI), tree-based hierarchies may be easily displayed and understood. Typically, a high level node (which may be referred to as a xe2x80x9cparent nodexe2x80x9d) is first displayed. An icon indicating that the particular parent node has descendants may be associated with the node descriptor of the parent. This icon may be used to effect the display of the dependent nodes (which may be referred to as xe2x80x9cchildxe2x80x9d nodes) of the selected node. Often, axe2x80x9c+xe2x80x9d symbol is used as the icon. By selecting the icon, for example, by mouse-clicking on the icon, the GUI is caused to extract and display the dependent nodes of the selected node. An example, in the context of displaying call dependencies in software programs, may be found in the co-pending, commonly-assigned U.S. Patent Applicant entitled xe2x80x9cTree-Based Interface Apparatus for Display of Call Dependencies and Method Therefor,xe2x80x9d incorporated herein by reference. If one or more dependent nodes themselves have an icon indicating that child has at least one descendant, those descendants may be displayed in a similar fashion. In this way a user can select descendant nodes, until a node is reached that has no dependent nodes. This process is known in the art as xe2x80x9cdrilling downxe2x80x9d through the hierarchy.
It is not uncommon in a particular data processing application in which the data is organized using a tree-based hierarchy for the number of nodes to become large. The number of nodes may, in many instances, reach into the hundreds. Drilling down through all of these nodes by, for example, clicking on an icon associated with the node, as discussed hereinabove, can become a tedious and time-consuming process. Thus, there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method for automatically expanding all dependent nodes to their fullest extent without the need for user actions, such as multiple mouse clicks.
The aforementioned needs are addressed by the present invention. Accordingly, there is provided, in a first form, a method of displaying tree-based hierarchies. The method includes the step of searching a first field in each entry in a data structure in response to a selection of a first node descriptor and displaying a second node descriptor in a second field of a first entry in response to the first node descriptor in the first field of the first entry. The first field in each entry is searched in response to the second node descriptor.
There is also provided, in a second form, a data processing system. The system includes circuitry operable for searching a first field in each entry in a data structure in response to a selection of a first node descriptor. The system also contains circuitry operable for displaying a second node descriptor in a second field of a first entry in response to the first node descriptor in the first field of the first entry, and circuitry operable for searching the first field in each entry in response to the second node descriptor.
Additionally, there is provided, in a third form, a computer program product operable for storage on program storage media, the program product operable for displaying tree-based hierarchies. The program product contains programming for searching a first field in each entry in a data structure in response to a selection of a first node descriptor, programming for displaying a second node descriptor in a second field of a first entry in response to the first node descriptor in the first field of the first entry, and programming for searching the first field in each entry in response to the second node descriptor.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.